Four dead, little hope for survivors from Kyaseka Towers ruins

KCCA’s Musisi being briefed by the rescue teams. Little home remains for any other survivors. PHOTOS BY KCCA

Uganda Police chief Kale Kayihura has ordered the arrest of Moses Seruwu, the owner of Kyaseka Towers along Makerere Hill Road, that collapsed on Monday.

Kayihura gave the directive after he held a meeting yesterday with lawyers of the owner of the building, relatives of those who died and engineers.

The Inspector General of Police’s decision follows similar calls by the Executive Director of Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) Jennifer Musisi who visited the site outside Makerere University.

“We visited the accident site at Kyaseka Towers this morning. While investigations to ascertain the cause of the collapse are ongoing, our teams continue working with The Police and Red Cross on the rescue mission,” Musisi said.

Mayor Lukwago visited, critical of slow response

Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago also visited the site and was critical of the slow response to the disaster. He and said until he gets into office, there is little he can do to save the city from dangerous structures.

“Today morning, I visited the scene of yesterday’s tragic incident where a 5-storey structure caved in. I discovered that we still have a long way to go in strengthening the disaster response mechanisms.”

Lukwago said it was not an accident, but negligence by many. He observed the building had been built on a road reserve, as is Ham Towers.

He said rescue efforts were slow.

“The excavation which commenced yesterday is not even halfway done, and may go on for another two or more days. I regret to inform you that until I access my office on Thursday this week, and reconstitute the KCCA governance system, there isn’t much that I can do to address this dire situation.”

Two days after the collapse of the Kyaseka Towers on Makerere Hill road, little hope now remains any more survivors will be found. Four bodies have peel pulled out of the ruins.

It is not certain how many people were trapped in the building that collapsed outside Makerere University, but eyewitnesses have reported they received calls asking to be rescued on Monday, but no more calls have been received since. This, according to the eyewitnesses, can only mean their phone batteries have run out or they they have not survived.